2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
What a lovely manga - from what I can remember, anyway - set in Victorian London. The Mangaka Kaoru Mori is a self-professed Anglophile and has done great extensive research when working on 'Emma'. It shows. I clearly recall the artwork being outstanding, with the most minute details thriving. The story - told in episodic chapters - and the characters are done nicely also.
'Emma' (no relation to the Jane Austen novel) is about a rather plain young woman who's been lucky enough to become a maid to an upper middle-class retired governess, after surviving abandonment and poverty at birth. The manga chiefly revolves around the blushing romance between Emma and the rich William Jones, the governess's former pupil. The first volume especially draws you into the simple but steadily-developed little romance between two people of entirely different backgrounds. Nothing special I admit, but it's cute. It was never boring for me because of the characters and their quirks (William is shy and very boyish, the Indian prince is eccentric and also in love with Emma, etc). My favourite has to be the governess (even though I can't really remember her name - Kelly, is it?) for she's very witty and sage-like for a woman of her time. With age comes experience, after all. Emma herself is pretty bland and Mary-Sue-ish (rich men fall in love with her despite her position and not being that good-looking), and is so passive she hardly seems to be much involved in her own story. But I could tell that she tries to manage well under her circumstances, and is kind and treats others fairly when she feels they deserve it. She is grateful for her job at a very difficult time period for a woman of her upbringing, and knows when to treat people with respect.
I've mentioned already about the artwork looking fantastic.
I have not read future volumes because they're very expensive online and I can't find them anywhere else. The anime isn't exactly easy to search for either. I'm not too fussed, however, even if I am a little curious to see how Emma and William's relationship develops further.
'Emma' - recommended for manga fans wanting to read something very different, and for those who like Victorian titles and romances.
Final Score: 4/5
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